2023–24 Humanities Matter(s)

The Oregon Humanities Center celebrated its 40th Anniversary in 2023–24.  

The Humanities Matter(s) lecture series amplified the substance and value of the humanities. Humanities give meaning and shape to our shared human experience while helping us address society’s most challenging questions and issues so we can discover productive ways forward. The humanities help us understand the past, comprehend the world in which we live, and conceptualize a better future.    

This lecture series and events celebrating the Oregon Humanities Center’s 40-year impact on the University and surrounding community primarily highlighted the research and findings of UO humanities faculty by asking: What are the various matters that make up the humanities? Why do the humanities matter? What place do the humanities hold for our shared future? How do we bolster the humanities at a time when they are increasingly under attack?  

Laura Pulido, Indigenous, Race, and Ethnic Studies and Geography, University of Oregon. “White Nationalism and GOP Climate Obstruction.”

Christopher Newfield, Director of Research at the Independent Social Research Foundation in London. “Jobs and Universities: A Tale of Two Futures.”